Gibson has released new ES-335 50s and 60s models, giving players a choice of decade-specific cosmetics, neck profiles and pickups — all handcrafted in Nashville.
The ES-335 has been a constant across genres and generations since its 1958 debut, and Gibson’s latest additions to the lineup deliver two models, six finishes and era-specific specs that go deeper than just aesthetics.
Both the ES-335 50s and ES-335 60s share the same thinline semi-hollow body construction — three-ply maple/poplar/maple with a solid maple centreblock for sustain and feedback resistance. The differences start at the headstock and run all the way down.
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The 50s model comes fitted with Custombucker pickups loaded with Alnico 3 magnets, chasing the tone of the original Patent Applied For humbuckers from the late 1950s. Warm, full and slightly compressed, they suit players after that classic, rounded PAF character. The 60s model takes a different route, using calibrated T-Type humbuckers with Alnico 5 magnets for a brighter, punchier response that reflects how the instrument evolved through that decade.
When it comes to the two models’ neck profiles, the 50s gets a Rounded C — substantial and hand-filling, the kind of profile that feels deliberate under your palm. The 60s uses Gibson’s SlimTaper profile, which sits lower and suits faster playing styles. The choice comes down to what feels right in your hands and how you like to play.
Down to the hardware, both models stay true to their era. Dot neck inlays and a longer pickguard on the 50s, small block inlays and a shorter pickguard on the 60s. Tuning machines follow suit — Vintage Deluxe tuners with keystone buttons on the 50s, Grover Rotomatic tuners with milk bottle buttons on the 60s.
The ES-335 50s comes in Ebony, Vintage Tobacco Burst and Vintage Natural, while the 60s is available in Dark Walnut, Sixties Cherry and Vintage Burst. Both are handcrafted at Gibson’s Nashville facility.
If you’ve always wanted an ES-335 but couldn’t decide which era to commit to, start with the neck profile that feels right and let the pickups do the rest.
Both models are available now through Australis Music Group.
